Thursday, April 02, 2015

Time Out Thursday - Sweet Sounds

We're delighted to welcome Christy Barritt to the Pink Heart Society, as she reminisces about writing of another sort...

Back before I was writing novels and way before I ever got published, I wrote songs.

I was a part of a band called “Wayfaring Stranger,” and we used to play at coffeehouses and other small venues, mostly around Cincinnati and the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. We even got to open for some bands/singers that were popular at the time.

My friends and I had a great time traveling, and we even recorded a CD that was sold at shows. I loved pouring my energy into crafting songs. Even though songs are short, they’re very difficult to get right. You only have a limited space to tell your story and that’s tricky!

After I moved from Ohio to Virginia, I thought I would hang up my guitar forever. Instead, I worked for eight years as a worship leader at my church. By that point in time, I had also started trying to write a book again. I’d dabbled with novel writing when I was younger, but I’d put it aside to concentrate on music. I find it difficult to spread my creativity into too many endeavors, so I haven’t written very much music since those days in Ohio. I mostly played things that others wrote.

I’ve been so busy with novel writing lately that I rarely play my guitar. But when I do pull out my old Taylor, it feels like I’m spending time with an old friend. Several of my novels also incorporate music, such as Home Before Dark, which is about a folk rock singer who’s searching for direction (and her father’s killer) and Broom and Gloom, which is about a up and coming country singer whose girlfriend goes missing.

I find music can be a great inspiration for writing fiction, as well. Often if I flounder with a central theme for my story, I’ll start listening to some of my favorite music artists. A lot of songs have very refined themes and sometimes they can kick start my creative process. I also love listening to movie soundtracks because they can set the mood as I’m creating my stories.

Music might come around for me again one day. But, for now, I can just look back on that time in my life with sweet memories.

Do you find that music helps your writing? Or do you find you work better in silence? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Christy's latest book, Hidden Agenda, is available now:

To Catch a Killer

Trusting the wrong person had gotten his father killed. CIA agent Ed Carter isn't about to repeat the mistake. Pulling a gun on nurse Bailey Williams may not have been the smartest idea, but the beautiful caretaker is Ed's only suspect in the murder. Problem is, her vulnerable brown eyes claim innocence and set off his protective instincts. The spark between them is undeniable, but Bailey could never trust her life—or her heart—to a man who thinks her guilty. But when the real killer returns and threatens not just her but her family, Bailey must place her faith in the only man who can keep them from being silenced forever…

To find out more about Christy Barritt and her books, check out her website and follow her on Twitter.